Re: CORK
News story below from Saturday's Irish Independent. Looks to me that the unions are winning this one and that the 'break-up' of Aer Rianta into three is gradually being reversed.
FEARS are growing at Shannon and Cork airports that the Government might be thinking of doing a U-turn on plans allowing them operate debt-free.
At least two independent airport board members are now "deeply unhappy" with the Government's failure to clarify the debt issue.
Transport Minister Cullen is urging the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), Cork and Shannon to jointly negotiate a settlement.
But at least two directors are now understood to be ready to reconsider their positions if Minister Cullen fails to endorse a written guarantee from his predecessor, Minister Seamas Brennan, that both Cork and Shannon will not begin independent operations from Aer Rianta/DAA burdened with debt.
One director, who asked to be unnamed, said there was now 'grave concern' that the issue of airport debt was being deliberately fudged by Minister Cullen.
"The issue of debt has very serious implications and it is vital that the Government and Minister Cullen fully understand that," he explained.
The DAA are now understood to want Cork to accept a portion of the debt generated by its Ä150m new terminal which will open next summer - particularly since Dublin faces the cost of building its own giant new terminal, Pier D. But Cork warned that any debt repayment would have to be sourced from its operating budgets - which are already over-stretched. Cork already has less employees per passenger than either Shannon or Dublin - and last year savoured growth of more than 20pc. The threat of debt has already prompted Cork's Lord Mayor, Cllr Deirdre Clune (FG), to issue a cross-party warning that the issue could jeopardise the entire future of the city's new terminal.
The Lord Mayor warned that at the very time Cork Airport should be working to maximise the potential of its new terminal, its board was 'effectively in limbo' because they are uncertain about their true financial status.